He glanced at Bridgette and she echoed her uncle’s comment, saying, “It really would be great if you’d stay with us. You’ll love it there. We have a forest near the house and we can go exploring . . .” Her face brightened as if remembering something. “Oh, and the Woodhaven Festival starts tomorrow afternoon! You have to stay! The festival is so amazing!”
There was no way he could resist. Seeing a girl like Bridgette smiling at him, actually wantingto spend time with him, had never happened before. He felt a surge of happiness at the thought of having friends and a warm place to stay. Immensely grateful, Edward smiled and said, “Thank you. I-I’d love to.”
Then he turned to Jack and asked, “But d-do you know anything about my mother? Mr. Spines said she n-needed my help and is imprisoned in the Jackal’s fortress. H-her name was Sarah Jane Macleod.”
For the second time that night, Jack looked completely stunned. Recovering himself, he asked, “Your mother is the Blue Lady?”
Seeing his confused expression, Jack quickly moved to a small bookshelf next to the bed where Edward was sitting and removed a large leather volume. He flipped through several pages and stopped at a picture. Then he handed the book to Edward.
Edward stared down at the beautifully colored illustration. A woman dressed in flowing blue robes was riding a winged horse and carrying an elegant spear. As his eyes traveled up the picture to the woman’s face his heart stopped. The familiar, gentle brown eyes of his mother stared back at him.
He was too overcome to speak.
The faun offered him a kind smile and said, “Edward, your mother is a great hero in the Woodbine. Everyone knows her. She has fought the Jackal’s forces with as much strength and dedication as a Guardian.”
Edward wiped his burning eyes with the back of his hand, trying to grasp what the faun was saying. His mother? A warrior?
“There m-must be a mistake,” he said softly. “Are you s-sure you mean mymother?”
Jack put his hand on Edward’s shoulder and said, “Not all people go to the Higher Places when they die. Those that reside in the Woodbine have unfinished business still on Earth.”
He smiled kindly. “Your mother must have loved you very much. She often spoke of the son from whom she believed she had been taken too soon.”
The faun paused for a moment. Then he said, “There have always been rumors that the Jackal had a secret way out of the Woodbine hidden in the depths of his fortress. Your mother told the Guardians that she didn’t care how impossible it was, she was going to find a way back to Earth to be with her son. She slew over two hundred of the enemy’s soldiers before they finally captured and imprisoned her.”
Edward’s eyes were so filled with tears that he had to look away from the picture in the book. All this time, while he was at the Foundry feeling alone and forgotten, his mother was watching over him, fighting for a chance to see him again.
The thought filled him with a renewed sense of belonging, something he thought he’d lost forever. Life wasn’t meaningless. It didn’t end on Earth. There were some things that went on forever.
He wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his sweater.
“But she’s still here?” he asked.
“Yes, she is. But getting to her might be impossible . . .” Jack began.
“I’ll find her,” he said firmly.
Edward carefully placed the book with his mother’s picture next to the pillow on the bed. Then he stood up with his big, ebony wings flaring out on either side of him.
He looked every inch a Guardian. The others watched as he flexed his back muscles, causing his wings to make two powerful flaps. It was the first time he’d ever tried to use them for what they were intended for. And as they pushed through the air, Edward could feel his feathers quiver, itching to soar on gentle breezes. He knew with certainty that these wings would carry him to his mother’s prison. He wouldn’t look at them as a deformity or be embarrassed by them any longer.
“I’ll be right back,” he said.
The others watched as Edward walked to the door at the other end of the small room. The tall boy stepped outside onto the balcony with his wings drifting behind him like a long, feathered cape.
The storm had passed. Edward felt a cool wind ruffle through his feathers and he breathed in the damp, earthy air.
He gazed at the star-filled heavens and smiled.
It was an excellent night to fly.
Appendix
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Achiyon: Another name for the Jackal. Literally
“Destroyer” in Guardian tongue. See also Belial.
Agareas: A Groundling and the Jackal’s chief emissary.
Often seen as an old man riding a crocodile.
Al: Also known as Al the Boatman. Al’s a ferryman in the Woodbine who transports passengers across the dangerous, memory-erasing waters of the river Lithye. He is also one of the few mortals who asked for permanent residence in the Woodbine. In addition to serving as ferryman, Al is known to be a fisherman of great skill. “The Catch of the Scarlet Wingfish” was a song composed in his honor by popular musician and Guardian, Zapeth Silversong. It’s said that the fish took over two weeks to capture due to its ability to swim both underwater and in the air.
Angel’s Flight: A funicular train in Los Angeles that leads to the top of a wealthy neighborhood called
Bunker Hill. See also Bunker Hill.
Artemis: An apprentice to Melchior, Chief Musician of the Seven Worlds. Artemis fell with Melchior and Sariel in W.R.1 1255. Due to the Corruption, Artemis resembles a flying green toad. Artemis’s Guardian parents were Shemial and Selenia. Both were killed in a skirmish with the Groundlings. See also Sariel and Melchior.
Asmoday: Also known as Henry Asmoday. Asmoday is a high-ranking Groundling in the Jackal’s army. Most scholars believe Asmoday fell almost three hundred years after the Jackal, (W.R. 362). Asmoday is the royal escort for Lilith, the Jackal’s Queen. Prior to his fall, Asmoday was a lieutenant under Commander Mik’ael. While serving as a Guardian he was decorated twice for bravery. He was a recipient of the Feathered Cross, 2nd Class, for bravery during the Zephyr Skirmish and was decorated for his strategic victory in the Battle of Arioch. He’s considered by most Guardians to be an extremely cunning adversary and is an expert at hiding his tracks.
Beaudry, Prudent: Benefactor of Mr. Spines. Mr. Beaudry’s descendants allow Spines the use of his home when in Los Angeles.
Belial: The Jackal’s earliest recorded name. In Guardian tongue, Belialmeans “Bridge Breaker.” He was one of the first Guardians to fall from the Woodbine. His reasons for falling are known only to himself, but many speculate that it was because he couldn’t obtain a more prestigious rank in the Higher Places. See also Jackal.
Blue Snail: Also called “Buruch.” Gigantic creature with the body of a snail and the head of an elderly human. Blue Snails are the repositories of lore for Cornelius, a famous Guardian ringmaker in the Woodbine. In times of great need, the snails can transform into fearsome fighters. See also Cornelius.
Bradbury Building: The Jackal’s headquarters on Earth and place of transport for his forces to the Woodbine. Considered by many to be the most evil place in Los Angeles.
Bridge Builder, the: The prophetic son of a Guardian and a mortal that will rebuild the bridges between the worlds that the Jackal destroyed. See also Seven Bridges.
Bridges: See Seven Bridges.
Bridgette: Adopted niece of Jack the faun, an expert in Woodbine lore.
Brimstone Mines: Another name for the Charon Fields, the Jackal’s special place of punishment reserved for his disobedient troops. There are some Groundlings that have been sentenced there for more than three thousand years.
Bunker Hill: Not to be confused with the famous Bunker Hill in Massachusetts, it is the name for a wealthy section of town in 1920s Los Angeles.
Cornelius: Keeper of the Blue Snails in the Woodbine.
An ancient Guardian of indeterminate age.
Corruption, the: A crippling disease that affects fallen Guardians that haven’t joined the Jackal’s forces.
Dancing Faun, the: An inn near the spot where mortals’ souls arrive when transported to the Woodbine. It is also a popular destination for Jack and Tollers. It’s a cozy place where evenings of discussion, good food, and drink are in abundance. The first reference to the inn appears in a letter from the Guardian Beshumiel in a letter dated W.R. 107. It states: “. . . there’s no greater place to meet mortals than the Faun. In fact, I met a wonderful two-headed griffin that used to be a seamstress in Liverpool, England, yesterday and learned more about needles and thread than I ever needed to know.”
Fall, the: The great rebellion of the Jackal and his forces. “Falling” is also the term used to refer to the point when a Guardian chooses to leave the Woodbine and join the enemy forces.
Foundry, the: A trade school that trains its students for practical careers. Usually this training encompasses areas of study that are considered distasteful by most job seekers, giving the graduates an excellent chance of employment.
Grigori:See Watchers and Melchior.
Groundling: A nickname for fallen Guardians. Reserved especially for those who serve the Jackal.
Grudgel, John: Edward’s enemy at the Foundry. Known by the nickname “Grudge.” After escaping from the Foundry, John wandered the streets of Portland for several weeks, trying to find a way home to his parents in Astoria. After seeking transportation in a disreputable tavern, John Grudgel was pressed into service aboard a merchant vessel. Twenty years later a record was found of a prominent dentist named John Grudgel in the Fiji Islands. A diary entry from Grudgel mentioned his love for dentistry happening at a young age after the misfortune of biting down on a ball bearing and cracking two molars.
Guardian: Protectors assigned to watch over mortals and engage the Jackal’s forces in combat.
Henry Asmoday: See Asmoday.
Histalek: A Guardian word of power, translated as “begone.” The secret words, or “The Ten,” are typically reserved for high commanders in the Guardian Army.
Ignatius, Mr.: A Groundling stationed at the Foundry to spy on Edward.
Jack the Faun: A mortal that now resides in the Woodbine. On Earth, he was a professor of medieval literature. Jack is highly respected for his exhaustive research on Guardian lore.
Jackal, the:The ancient enemy of the Guardians. Other names for the Jackal include Belial and Achiyon. Both Groundlings and Guardians commonly use the “Jackal” nickname due to his high-pitched, barking laugh. When he fell, most of his physical body was torn apart by the bridges he destroyed. He is now rumored to be more machine than Guardian.
Joyce: Jack the faun’s wife. As a mortal, Joyce was a prolific poet and well known for her exceptional marksmanship. In the Woodbine she often helps young Guardians learn to use their rings as projectile weapons.
Lair, Jackal’s: The term used to refer to the Jackal’s Woodbine fortress. Not to be confused with the Bradbury Building in Los Angeles, where the Jackal’s terrestrial headquarters are located.
Lilith: The Jackal’s Queen. Lilith is known for her ruthless treatment of mortals.
Machine, the: An invention designed by Mr. Spines to transport himself to the Woodbine. There has been much speculation about the method of construction for this ingenious device. In the Woodbine, Mr. Spines (Melchior) is known to be an excellent designer and craftsman.
Macleod, Edward: The son of a mortal and a Guardian with an exceptional talent for building elaborate card houses.
Macleod, Sarah Jane: Edward’s mother, known as the “Blue Lady” in the Woodbine. Sarah Macleod was the only mortal in history to marry a fallen Guardian.
Melchior: Mr. Spines’s Guardian name.
Mines, the: See Brimstone Mines.
Moloc: Whiplash Scruggs’s Groundling name.
Mulciber: One of Whiplash Scruggs’s two dogs. The other is Olivier. Both dogs are prized for their tracking abilities and poisonous bites.
Nsh: Guardian Tongue for “test.” Often used by Guardians to test a ring to make sure that it works properly. It is also used to ignite the weapon’s fire.
Olivier: One of Whiplash Scruggs’s dogs.
Oroborus: An imitation of a Guardian’s Ring created by the Jackal. While most Guardian Rings are unadorned, the Oroborus is often molded into the form of a serpent biting its own tail. Many Woodbine scholars have debated as to whether or not the Oroborus is as effective as a Guardian Ring, but the results are inconclusive.
Polanski, Miss: A Groundling stationed at the Foundry to spy on Edward.
Qados: Guardian Tongue for “light.”
Ring: The circular weapon of power used by Guardians. The Guardian Ring functions both as a dimensional portal device and as a weapon.
Sariel: Melchior’s apprentice. Sariel fell with Melchior in the year W.R. 1255. As a young Guardian, Sariel was known for her natural gift with musical instruments and was being groomed to take over Melchior’s position as Chief Musician. Due to the Corruption, Sariel’s form was changed after her fall from a Guardian of exceptional beauty to an ermine. See also Artemis.
Scruggs, Whiplash: A nickname for Moloc, a duke in the Jackal’s army. Known especially for his terrible whip and boundless cruelty.
Se’ol: “Place of the Dead.” Another name for the Jackal’s Lair.
Seven Bridges, the: The bridges that the Jackal destroyed when he fell from the Higher Places. Each one of the worlds he passed by on his way down has a name and purpose. The Woodbine is counted as the first of the seven because of its proximity to Earth. It was designed as a brief stopping point for mortal souls to complete any unfinished business they left behind on Earth. Usually this takes the form of helping a Guardian care for a loved one during a time of grief.
The second world, Lelakek, is the world of feasting. It’s a happy place where many mortals enjoy the company of friends and family that have passed on.
The third world is called Jubal and is a place for meditation and rest.
Little is known about the fourth world, Baradil, which is cloaked in heavy clouds. Some believe that it is a place where souls discover a new and secret purpose for their lives in the Higher Places.
The fifth world, Akamai, contains a vast music library. It’s a place where souls learn how to compose Songs of Power. Out of all the worlds, Akamai is the one that the Jackal fears most. He believes there are melodies contained in the library that could bring about his ultimate destruction.
The sixth world, Zeshar, was designed without rails on the narrow bridge that leads up to it. This is because one of the tasks presented to the mortal souls on Akamai is to use their research to come up with a Song that will help them traverse the bridge. One of the favorite pastimes of those who have decided to reside at Akamai is to listen to the different melodies people have composed that allow them to travel up to the next world.
The seventh world, Iona, is the closest to the Higher Places. This mysterious world had its bridge stolen by the Jackal in W.R. 60. Many believe that it was this first act of defiance that gave him the idea to destroy the other bridges when he fell. It is interesting to note that during his fall he missed the sixth bridge on his way down, and was only able to destroy the five below it. Rumors of a replacement bridge for the seventh exist, one that is invisible to the Jackal and the Groundlings. It is said that only those whose hearts are pure can see the new bridge which was put in its place.
Sisma: Guardian tongue for “open.”
Song of Power: Used by Guardians for magical purposes. Songs of Power are designated for different purposes and require extensive training to use.
Spines, Mr.: See Melchior.
Tollers: A mortal who now resides in the Woodbine, Tollers was a professor of Anglo-Saxon literature at Oxford University while on Earth. Colleague of Jack the faun and fellow researcher of Guardian lore.
Warburton, Dr.: Principal of the Foundry.
Woodbine
, the: The first of the Seven Worlds and the closest to Earth. It is the place originally designed for mortals with unfinished business to attend to on Earth. It was meant to be a place of temporary lodging, but due to the Jackal’s fall and subsequent destruction of the Seven Bridges, many of the mortals have been unable to traverse to the upper worlds. See also Seven Bridges.
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